The Forgotten Husband
by obeytherandomness
Summary: Thorin was married off to a hobbit when he was very young in order to further the trade agreement between Hobbiton and the newly formed home of the dwarves in the Blue Mountains. Only, that's not what really happened and Thorin has made quite a few mistakes along the way because of it that have broken the heart of a very dear hobbit. Now it's left to Balin to clean up this mess.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is a quick Two Shot that I wrote today about a story idea that has been in my head for quite some time. I hope you all enjoy this little short. Thanks for reading.

PS: Just for this story, I'm making the Hobbit life cycle very similar to that of dwarves. Also, I'm going with the book where Thorin was only a small child when he first left Erebor, but the rest of this story is an AU from the movies. If you have any other questions that I have neglected to answer in this note, please feel free to ask me in a review.

* * *

Balin sighed as he knocked on the little green door with the blue symbol that Gandalf had carved what seemed like so long ago. Bilbo had said, in the letter he had left behind to say goodbye to the dwarves, that tea was at four and that they shouldn't bother knocking, but Balin still couldn't bring himself to do that. After all that Bilbo had done for them, it felt wrong of the dwarf to disturb his well-deserved peace by just walking in.

"Come in!" Bilbo called out, so Balin did just that. "I'm afraid that I cannot stand to greet you, but I'm in the sitting room if you'll join me."

Suddenly, Balin felt frozen. They had not seen the Hobbit since Thorin had almost cast him over the ramparts, though they, including Thorin, had made sure to send every apology, which had been replied with every forgiveness, and they had never known if the hobbit had even been injured. The fact that Bilbo could not even stand to greet him did not bode well. Was he so badly injured that he couldn't even walk anymore?

"Hello?" Bilbo called out.

And then Balin knew that he would not be able to rest until he knew the exact extent of the damage. He rushed into the sitting room where the fire was blazing and Bilbo was sitting in a big red armchair. What he saw there was like nothing he had ever imagined and he practically collapsed into the chair next to the hobbit.

"Oh!" Bilbo looked just as shocked as he was. "I did not expect you so soon. I had thought you at least would be needed during the rebuilding of Erebor."

But Balin would not be distracted. "You are pregnant," he gasped. And very much so, if the size of the hobbits massive belly was anything to go by. It looked far too big to fit on a hobbit, and the weight of it seemed to be crushing him. Even his swollen feet, which were resting up on a soft stool, were small in comparison.

"Yes," Bilbo sighed happily, as he looked down at the stomach that both his hands were cradling. He could feel the little ones inside him getting restless and he couldn't wait to be able to hold them in his arms. "They've been quite the hassle to carry around, but they'll come out any day now and I can't wait to meet them."

"They?" Balin asked.

"Oh yes!" Bilbo nodded. "The elves confirmed that there was at least two when I passed through Rivendell." Balin twitched as his suspicions were being validated. "Besides, I do not think that even dwarf babies would be this large on their own."

"And may I ask who the father is?" Balin asked cautiously. He was already pretty certain he knew exactly who the father was because the hobbit had only lain with one member of the entire company.

"King Thorin is the father," Bilbo frowned, looking off into the distance as he thought about that very dwarf.

Balin felt bad for pressing the matter, but he simply had to know. "Is this why you told us it was such a scandal for hobbits to lay with anyone outside of marriage?"

Bilbo nodded. "Hobbits are a very fertile people. It is almost impossible for us to avoid pregnancy after intercourse."

"Then why did you lay with Thorin during the journey?" Balin asked. He hoped that their king was not so selfish as to promise Bilbo that they would marry in the end. There was no way for the king to marry the hobbit because he was already married to another for the sake of a treaty. Thorin had always felt trapped in the agreement, Balin knew, since he had never met his husband and so had slept around with anyone and everyone that would have him. It was still a scandal in dwarven culture for one who is married to lay with another, but not quite so horrible as it seemed to be in hobbit culture. So there was no other reason that Balin could think Bilbo would allow himself to sleep with the dwarf.

Bilbo sighed again. "Balin, you must promise me that what I am about to divulge, you will not tell anyone else without my permission."

"Very well," Balin nodded. "I promise."

"On my table there," Bilbo pointed to a small table that rested against one of the side walls and was stacked with paper, "there is a document. You will know it when you see it."

Balin went over to investigate the table, now knowing how Bilbo must have felt trying to search for the Arkenstone within all that treasure with only the thought that he would know it when he saw it, and shifted through the papers until he came upon the only thing that Bilbo could have been referring to. It was a small piece of paper, written in crayon with a child's hand, but Balin recognized a marriage agreement when he saw one. And, down at the bottom, there were two signatures. The first, written shakily by another child's hand, belonged to Bilbo Baggins, and the second, written by the same child that wrote the entire contract, was Thorin son of Thrain. "Oh!" Balin gasped.

"I thought that he finally recognized me that night when he took me to bed, but then the next morning he started talking about how I was different from all his other conquests and complaining about the husband that he had been forced to marry without even meeting. I really should have known that he would not know the significance of that paper. As children, hobbits are all taught the absolute importance of marriage, it is practically the first thing we learn in our education, and I had thought it was the same way for you dwarves. How foolish I was. Thorin doesn't even remember me and he thinks that we were only married to further a trade agreement, which is completely untrue. My grandfather never allowed our marriage to be part of the contract, though he might have said that we would take care of them as they were then part of our family as we hobbits are meant to."

Balin rushed back over to Bilbo's side as tears gathered and fell down the hobbit's cheek. He quickly as much of the small one as he could reach around the massive stomach and began to rock him back and forth.

"I always waited for him to come back and see me," Bilbo cried out, "but he had long since forgotten about me. He said that I was his One. He told me that he loved me, but I should never have believed a child."

"Sh," Balin cooed, cradling the bawling hobbit's head in the crook of his neck so that the other could feel free to cry out all his tears without the chance of anyone else seeing. "Sh." Yet there were no other words of comfort he could think of. Not after the suffering that Bilbo must have gone through on their journey. To be forgotten and belittled every step of the way by his own husband. And then to find that Thorin had not at all been faithful to the little one. It was just too much and Balin knew that nothing he said would ever make it better, so he just sat and cooed at the little hobbit until all the tears had been cried out.

"I thought of a way to make him happy, though," Bilbo sniffled once he calmed enough to do so. "I was going to tell him by post, but maybe you could do it instead. Although, maybe that's too much to ask of you."

"Tell me what you have planned," Balin shook his head.

"I want to tell Thorin that his husband is dead," Bilbo replied. "That way he'll be free to marry another. None of the hobbits know what my husband looks like, so I can just say that he is needed in another land and cannot come to visit me. No one will ever have to know that we are married and he can finally have the life that he wants without being stuck with me."

"Is that truly what you want?" Balin asked. He, of course, would not tell Bilbo that dwarves were considered married even after the death of their partner. There was no way that Thorin could remarry, but right now Balin thought the other dwarf deserved it. He should not be allowed to move on after breaking their hero's heart so thoroughly.

Bilbo shook his head, but forced a smile. "I just want him to be happy with whomever he really loves."

"And what of the children?" Balin asked. Immediately, he regretted even bringing them up because Bilbo's face crumbled and his grip on his stomach tightened.

"What about them?" Bilbo asked with wide eyes.

"Will you take care of them on your own? Raise them as hobbits?"

"No," Bilbo shook his head. "They will not be hobbits. We are fertile creatures, but our children are always the race of the father, not the barer. I had planned to teach them a mix of hobbit culture and dwarven culture. I've even been collecting books from the dwarves of the Blue Mountains who have passed through on their way to Erebor, but I'm still severely lacking."

"I will send you many books if that is your wish when I return to Erebor."

Bilbo grinned, but then it fell almost immediately. "You won't tell anyone else about the children, will you Balin? I don't want to lose them."

"I will not tell," Balin shook his head, "but I will carry the news that you asked me to, to Thorin."

"Thank you," Bilbo sighed, rubbing his stomach carefully once more. "Do you think that it would be okay if I named one of them Frerin if either of them turns out to be a boy?"

"After Thorin's brother?" Balin asked.

Bilbo nodded. "I met him when I met Thorin. He was a sweet boy and I know that he fell during the Battle of Azanulbizar. I want to honor him and this was the best way I could think of."

"That would be a great honor," Balin nodded. "Now I must go. I was only meant to stop in for a little while before heading back to the mountain."

"You do not even want to stay for tea?" Bilbo asked.

"No," Balin shook his head. "I am needed back at Erebor as you said. I have only been able to make this journey because Thorin sent me to invite you to his coronation. I see now that that is not possible, so I must return."

"I'm sorry," Bilbo looked down sadly. "Could you please tell him that I was sorry to miss it?"

"I will most definitely tell him that," Balin promised. "Now I must be off. I wish you and your children well dear friend."

"You as well," Bilbo smiled sadly. "And feel free to come and visit me again whenever you like. My door will always be open to all of you."

"Thank you," Balin bowed and turned to go. Taking one last glance around the place, he knew that not one of the dwarves would ever be able to return. They would try, the old dwarf knew, but, in order to keep the secret of the children, Balin would have to stop them from doing so. It was likely, they would never again see their little burglar hobbit.

* * *

Balin could barely contain his anger when he returned to the mountain and was called to face Thorin for a private talk. He wanted nothing more than to scold his king, but he had made promises that he was determined to keep. "My king," he bowed as he entered the room. Thorin had already told them that they should call him by his first name, but Balin had made everyone aware that they must always greet the king with respect. Only after they had done so could they then act so friendly towards the king because, otherwise, it would be harder for other dwarves to respect him.

"Will he come?" Thorin asked immediately.

"He was not able to come," Balin shook his head, "but he wished me to tell you that he was very sorry to miss it."

Thorin sighed, and sank deeper into the chair in his royal chamber. "Why was he unable to come?"

"He wished me not to say," Balin replied.

"Is he still angry at me for what I did to him?" Thorin asked. What he had done that day on the rampart still haunted his dreams. He would sometimes even find himself waking with the hobbit's name on his lips after watching the body that he had worshiped in Lake Town smash on the rocks far beneath him.

"He has already forgiven you for that," Balin shook his head because, even though he did not think Thorin should have been forgiven so easily, he had no doubt that Bilbo had already forgiven the dwarf even before the Battle of Five Armies began. Such was the hobbit's love for the other, though Balin was pretty sure he would have done the same even if they had not previously been married. "He was just unable to make the trip. But I was given other news while I was in Hobbiton."

"And what would that be?" Thorin sighed. He had been looking forward to seeing Bilbo once more. He had wanted to make sure that the other was okay especially after receiving news that Bilbo was nowhere to be found when he first woke up and asked for the hobbit. It wasn't until later that someone found out that the hobbit had slipped away with Gandalf before any of the company could even talk to him.

"It seems that the husband you so loathed being married to is dead," Balin replied, unable to keep all of his anger from his voice. He reigned it away from his face, though, as Thorin looked up with wide eyes. For a moment, Balin thought that maybe the king really did remember who his husband was, but then Thorin grinned and he knew it was not so.

"Truly?" he asked and Balin nodded. "Good! I shall go and see Bilbo when my coronation is over and bring him back with me."

"To do what?" Balin hissed. "Become your concubine. Even though your husband is dead, you are still married to him. You cannot marry another."

"Surely Bilbo will understand," Thorin shook his head. "He told me that he loved me and I love him. He will understand once I explain everything to him."

"Sleeping with another outside of marriage is one of the greatest sins to a hobbit," Balin replied and Thorin turned to face him with a shocked expression. "Especially when one of the party is married. You've had your chance with Bilbo and you broke his heart. You will not hurt him even more by going to see him now." And, with that, Balin left the room, not even caring as Thorin's shocked expression followed him out. Perhaps it was a little cruel to keep the two of them apart when they so clearly loved each other, but Balin was not sure that Bilbo would survive any more time spent with the husband that had forgotten him and treated him so horribly. No. Balin would make sure that Bilbo no longer had to suffer any more connection with this mountain.

And so it was. Until several years later.


	2. Chapter 2

Dwalin was at post at the top of the ramparts when he noticed two dwarflings coming towards the large open gates of The Lonely Mountain. One had long blonde hair and the other long dark hair with the same color scruff on their chin. That was the only difference between them, though, as they both wore the same clothing and carried a sword at their hips and a bow over their shoulders. They could not have been even as old as Kili when the company first set out, which meant that these two were probably not even at their majority, yet there was no adult in sight.

Dwalin gave his post to another before heading down to find out more about the children. "And where are your parents?" asked the dwarf guard at the door before Dwalin waved him off.

"Daddy sent us here," replied the blonde one, now looking at Dwalin who was probably the most threatening looking dwarf even though he lacked any sort of armor. He had already stepped in front of the other and was holding onto his sword just in case anyone should attempt to attack them.

"We're supposed to ask to speak with Balin son of Fundin," said the ravenette.

"And what do you want with him?" Dwalin raised a brow at the two little ones.

"We're only allowed to speak with Balin," replied the blonde, stepping just a bit farther in front of the other to hide him from view. It was only then that Dwalin happened to see a slight twitch of the hilt of the ravenette's sword, which meant that he was also holding it and ready to fight.

"He is very busy right now," Dwalin replied. "Why don't we wait for your dad to get here before we take you in to see him?"

"I told dad he wouldn't listen," the blonde one growled. "Stupid stubborn dwarrows."

"That's why he gave us that document, though," replied the ravenette, swinging his pack off his back and digging inside it until he came up with a rather old contract that Dwalin would recognize anywhere.

"How did you come by this?" Dwalin's eyes widened as the blonde handed him the contract that Bilbo had signed so long ago.

"Daddy gave it to us," replied the ravenette, "so that you would allow us to see Balin son of Fundin."

"Fine," Dwalin growled. If they wanted to speak to his brother so badly, then let them. In the meanwhile, he would find out what the hell was going on and how the hell they got their hands on a contract that should belong to their burglar.

Both boys stiffened, but they followed Dwalin nonetheless. They didn't really have a choice anyway, since Dwalin had signed for two of the guards to follow behind and make sure the boys didn't try to escape.

* * *

Balin was contentedly reading a book in his room when he was startled by the loud banging of someone at his door. It could only be his brother, of course, as no one else would knock in such a way and he sighed as he stood to open the door. He was shocked, though, to find the murderous expression his brother was currently wearing.

"These dwarflings are demanding to speak to you," he hissed, motioning at a blonde and ravenette dwarf that stood behind him.

"And why does that upset you so, brother?" Balin asked. He did sometimes enjoy teaching the little ones and they came to speak to him often, though he wasn't sure he had ever seen these boys before.

"They had this," Dwalin growled, shoving the contract into Balin's hand before entering his room. The boys looked up at him with wide blue eyes and, Balin suddenly knew exactly whom they were.

"Please come in," he said to the two as he dismissed the guards behind them. "What has brought the two of you all the way out here?" He quickly ushered both brothers to the couch near the fire where they sat huddled together, though both still remained rather stiff.

"We were told that we were only allowed to speak with Balin son of Fundin," replied the ravenette.

"I am Balin son of Fundin, and this is my brother, Dwalin. Please feel free to say whatever your dad has asked you to."

"He wanted us to give you this letter," the ravenette replied, digging through his bag until he came up with the very letter and handed it to Balin. The dwarf wasted no time in ripping it open, worrying as to why Bilbo would send the boys out there when he had been so against letting them go before.

 _Dear Master Balin_

 _I am truly sorry for sending my boys to you without any warning beforehand, but Gandalf has come to me with another quest that is of the utter secrecy and I could not risk a letter to you being intercepted and the enemy knowing where I was going. I also could not risk leaving them behind if anyone should attempt looking for me at my house. I know they will be safe within the mountain, though, so I have sent them there. I will be bringing the boys as close as I can to Erebor and then I will have them make the rest of the trip on their own while I head to my destination._

 _Both boys know that I will be gone for some time, but I have not told them that it is very likely that I will probably not survive this trip. This brings me to the reason that I have sent them to you in particular. I have told them stories about their father, but I have made them promise not to try to meet him without your permission. I know that you have already told him about his husband being dead, but I do not want the children to be known as his illegitimate sons. I have enclosed our marriage agreement with this letter_ (and Balin clutched it in his other hand), _but I leave it up to you on whether Thorin should be made aware of them._

 _I am so sorry, my friend, for all the mess that I have caused you to deal with. I hope you will some day forgive me, but I must put my children in your care. Please do whatever you think is best. But do not try to find me._

 _Thank you,_

 _Bilbo Baggins_

 _P.S. I have taught the boys both of our cultures, but have allowed them to pick and choose some things such as the way they introduce themselves. I hope this will be okay._

Balin stared at the letter for a moment longer. A feeling of dread overcoming him as he read one line over and over again. It was very likely that Bilbo would not survive. Yet, Balin convinced himself, Bilbo had survived a meeting with a dragon, so perhaps he would be all right. There were other things that he needed to be concerned with anyway.

"Will you two introduce yourselves?" he asked them. Bilbo had sent him a letter right after they had been born to tell him that they were both healthy baby boys, but he could not yet give them their names since their naming day was still a year away. Balin had replied that, while he would dearly like to know their names, he thought it best that Bilbo keep their correspondence about the children to a minimum just in case someone else should happen to read the letters. Bilbo had agreed and never written about his children again.

"Frerin, son of Thorin," said the blonde one and Balin heard Dwalin gasp in the background.

"And Frodo Baggins," said the other, and Balin saw Dwalin lose his balance and have to hold onto the edge of a chair to keep himself up.

"At your service," the boys said together as they gave shallow bows, as was respectable of the royal line of Durin.

Dwalin stared at Balin with his mouth agape and his eyes wide until his elder brother finally took pity on him. "These are the twin sons of Bilbo Baggins and King Thorin," he nodded before turning to the boys once more. "I must go and speak with the king, but my brother will take care of you here while I am away."

Frerin nodded, relaxing into the couch with his brother held close to him.

"Will you tell us stories about the Quest for Erebor?" Frodo asked Dwalin as Balin left the room with the letter and marriage contract gripped in his hands.

* * *

It was much later than Balin thought it was when he finally found the king laying with a dwarrowdam in his bedchamber. "Get out," Balin growled at the she-dwarf. "Now." It was probably the most threatening Balin had ever looked, but in that moment he did not care to check himself.

"Balin?" Thorin asked as the she-dwarf scrambled out of his room. "What is going on?"

"Read this," Balin thrust the marriage contract at the king and glared until Thorin looked down at it.

"What is this?" he asked even as he read the lines. It looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember what it was from.

"That is the marriage contract that you wrote," Balin pointed at the contract, losing any patience he had been holding onto throughout this whole affair. "That is _your_ signature that _you_ signed. And, _that,_ " here Balin pointed at the messy little signature, "is the signature of Bilbo Baggins agreeing to be your husband after you proclaimed that you loved him and that he was your one. That is his declaration of love after you lied to him and told him that you loved him too."

"I didn't lie to him!" Thorin gasped. No matter what, even as a child, he would never lie to Bilbo.

"Obviously you did since you forgot him so easily," Balin hissed. "He waited for you! He thought you finally remembered him that night in Lake Town! Only to find out that you had just been using him."

"Balin," the word sounded so broken that it immediately broke Balin out of the rant that he was working up to. "You told me that my husband was dead."

"Because he asked me to," Balin nodded. "Because he thought you would be happier if you could move on and not be tied to him anymore."

"Why are you telling me all this then?" Thorin asked. He was looking down at the document with such sadness that Balin found himself losing his anger towards the other.

"Because something has arrived that has made it so that you must be aware of it all," Balin sighed.

"What is it?" the king asked distractedly. Whatever it was couldn't be nearly as important as the memories that were now barraging him of the very first time he ever met Bilbo Baggins. He hated and loved them in equal measures, because he loved any time he spent with Bilbo, but he hated that they had abandoned him and made him treat Bilbo so cruelly.

"Your sons," Balin replied, jerking Thorin's whole attention back to him. "Bilbo bore them in Bag End, but has sent them to us as he heads off on a matter of secrecy." Here he handed the letter to Thorin, who read it as quickly as he could.

"We must find him!" Thorin gasped as he jumped from his bed and started to dress himself.

"You will not go looking for him," Balin demanded in the same tone he had used all those years ago. "He has asked us not to look for him and has sent his children here to be taken care of. Will you deny both of those wishes?"

At that, Thorin froze. He truly did want to go find Bilbo, protect him from whatever dangers he was heading to face, but he also wanted to care for the children that he had never known. He sighed as he finished dressing, knowing exactly what his choice needed to be. "Will you let me meet them?" he asked.

"Of course you will need to meet them," Balin said in a chastising tone, though he was well aware that he was really giving Thorin hope. "They will be living with you from now on anyway and it is your duty to take care of them."

"Thank you," Thorin muttered, knowing that Balin would hear him. "Take me to them."

* * *

Dwalin had just finished telling the tale of the three trolls, which Frodo had asked about specifically and he was surprised about how much the hobbit had downplayed his role in the whole affair, when the door opened once more. He immediately reached for his axe as both the children reached for their swords, but stopped when he saw just who was walking into the room. He gave a curt nod and followed his brother out. They would wait outside and guard the door so that no one would interrupt.

Thorin crouched near enough to the boys that he could reach them, but far enough away that they wouldn't feel overwhelmed or threatened. "Hi," he tried to smile at them, but he knew that it was failing miserably. "My name is Thorin. I'm your father." That was probably the awkwardest thing that Thorin had ever said, but there it was and both boys' eyes widened before the raven was up and jumping at him. The blonde was quick to follow, though in a more subdued way and they reminded him of Fili and Kili when they were young.

"It's so nice to meet you," the raven cried as the blonde nodded alongside him. "Daddy has told us so many stories about you. We've been wanting to meet you forever and then daddy told us that we were going to come here for a little while and we were so excited. You're so much cooler in person!"

"It's nice to meet you too," Thorin replied. "But you haven't properly met anyone until you have both introduced yourselves." Because he was supposed to be acting like a father and that's always what he would have said to Fili and Kili when they forewent a proper greeting as children.

The blonde was the fist to step back and he pulled the raven to stand next to him. "I'm Frerin, son of Thorin," he said, making Thorin's throat catch at the name of his own deceased brother. He had always thought that if he were to have children he would name one of them after his brother. Apparently Bilbo had the same thought. He was the perfect being and Thorin had ruined it all.

"And I'm Frodo Baggins," said the raven.

"At your service," the two bowed together and Thorin had to hold back a laugh. These two were definitely twins, but at the same time they reminded him so much of Fili and Kili that it was just strange.

"Well," he said after a moment of getting his bearing back. "Would you to like to come live with me as Princes of Erebor?" And he immediately regretted saying that, though, as he realized just what a weight it would suddenly be on their shoulders. Apparently he had nothing to fear, though.

"Can we really?" Frerin asked, his eyes widening as his brother's hands came up to cover his shocked gasp.

Thorin nodded. "You won't be my heirs as I have already given that right to my nephew, Fili, but you will be my sons, the Princes of Erebor."

"I can't wait until daddy returns," Frerin grinned and Frodo nodded, though Thorin could barely withhold his flinch. "He'll be so happy to see us as princes."

Thorin gathered both boys in his arms once more and cried into their shoulders. They would never know why he cried that day and would probably never see him do so again, but they stood and allowed him to cry on them for several hours before he finally regained himself enough to take them to their room within the royal chambers. He would introduce them to his sister and nephews tomorrow, he planned, the rest of the company the day after, and the rest of the kingdom in a week or so once he and Balin had figured out just how to do so without a huge uproar.

Even if Thorin never saw Bilbo again, he would at least make things right by taking care of their children. And possibly even spoiling the boys to the best of his ability.

* * *

AN: I hope you all enjoyed this. I will possibly expand upon this story in the future, but it probably won't be any time soon.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Alright, I know I said it would probably be a while before I updated this story again, and that will be the case for any future chapters that I choose to write, but I just couldn't get this piece out of my head. I hope you all enjoy it.

PS: There are some spoilers from The Lord of the Rings that I have changed slightly to fit my version of the story. You have been warned.

* * *

Many years passed and every raven that Thorin had sent out to find Bilbo had been sent back with little to no news of the hobbit's whereabouts. It seemed that his One was trying very hard to stay out of everyone's eye and doing a very good job of it. Gandalf had already told them that the secret mission Bilbo had set off to do was done and that he had saved the world at great expense to himself. Yet, Thorin could not believe that there was even a chance that his hobbit was already dead despite the warnings that Balin cautioned him with. He never showed any of this to his sons, who had become very beloved princes and were very close to the king himself. Everything that he did to find Bilbo was done in secrecy in order not to get their hopes up.

The boys were older now. They were, in fact, coming upon their majority and hoping, as they did every year, that Bilbo would somehow make it back for their birthday. They never showed how disheartened they got when he did not make an appearance for their birthday, but Thorin could see that it was weighing on them. It wouldn't be long before they figured out the truth of the whole thing. Thorin was actually pretty sure that they would have already done so if they didn't have so many other diversions to occupy their time. Fili and Kili especially liked to distract them with their games and tricks despite them being twice the young one's age.

It had been many years and Thorin wanted more and more to head out and find his hobbit no matter what he had to do. Especially when his sons insisted on the entire company coming out of the mountain in order to have a picnic. Apparently, that was a favorite thing of Bilbo's when they were young and they liked to do it as often as Thorin's schedule would allow. The king could hardly say that he liked it any less.

The company, which now also included Thorin's sister, Dis, was currently having a party for the twins' majority just outside the mountain. There would be another one in a couple of days for the whole mountain, but they liked to celebrate the day of their birth with just friends and family.

"There is a group of men heading this way," Kili said suddenly. Other than the twins who had gained their dad's sight, which apparently was much better than that of dwarves and men though not as great as that of elves, he still had the best sight out of everyone.

"What could they want here?" asked Fili even as he and his brother continued to spar with the twins.

"Perhaps they wish to bring gifts to the princes," Balin suggested. He could not yet see the men except for a mass far in the distance, but the dwarves had been receiving such gifts from all over the place in the last couple of weeks. The men of Laketown especially paid their respects with many gifts.

"We will find out once they come," Thorin shrugged, having glanced over and not been able to discern any threat from the men so far away. Dwalin was alert, and that was enough for them to at least have warning if an attack should come. They were supposed to be enjoying his sons' birthday, and he would not let suspicion of neighbors ruin that. He had already learned that lesson during the Battle of Five Armies.

They did not, however, have to wait for the men to come all the way to them. Frodo stopped mid-spar, forcing his brother to block a jab that Fili would not have otherwise been able to divert, and dropped his weapons before taking off towards their visitors. "Daddy!" he screamed and every other dwarf was suddenly standing without realizing that they had gotten up. Frerin, who had raced after his brother without even knowing what was going on, faltered for a short step before picking up his pace, catching up to his brother, and racing alongside him to get to the person that they had missed for so long.

Thorin could barely hold himself back from racing towards the group as well when a small figure leapt from the saddle of a pony and held his arms out to the boys. They were bigger than him now and used that as an advantage by picking him up and swinging him around as many of the dwarves had done to them over the years. The king clenched his fists and stayed rooted where he was, not certain if he would be welcome in such a reunion, but wanting so badly to go and see if his husband was truly alright.

It seemed like ages before the little figure mounted the pony once more and the group set off with two young dwarves to accompany them. The twins were clearly chatting happily to their dad, which set Thorin's nerves a little more at ease. If Bilbo had been hurt badly, they would have looked more worried than that. Still, he felt tense as he readied himself for what was sure to be a very awkward meeting. Gandalf had said that there was great expense to Bilbo.

"Papa!" Frerin ran over with a grin on his face, which kind of shocked Thorin. Frerin, the older of the twins, was a much more stoic dwarf than his brother, so much so that Thorin sometimes accidentally called him Fili, and never really left the other's side. In fact, Thorin had more than once mistakenly called the twins by the names of his nephews and vice versa even though both the twins were much more subdued than their cousins at that age. It made him feel bad at first that he couldn't get their names right, but then they finally divulged that Bilbo would sometimes do the same thing. "Come and see! Daddy has returned!"

The king could no longer deny it. He had to go over and now he actually had permission to go over. His feet moved faster than was probably respectable, but he managed not to run to his husband. It was a close thing, though. If anyone would ask him, he would tell them that the eagerness of his son was what had him moving so quickly, but the company would not ask because they already knew the true answer and that was not it.

Bilbo looked mostly unharmed the closer Thorin got to him. There were a couple small scars here and there that the king knew hadn't been there when they were at Laketown. There were no missing limbs, though, and that was a good sign at least. Bilbo did not look pale or thin. He looked well fed and tan just like a hobbit should. Yet, there was still something that Thorin could feel was wrong. He knew that he saw it, but for some reason his seeking eyes could not tell exactly what was the matter.

"Papa!" Frodo greeted as Frerin moved back to his side.

Bilbo startled, ducked his head, and would not look at Thorin. It made the king clench a fist behind his back until he felt his nails digging into his skin. Had he really done such damage to his One? If he had, he only hoped that it would be possible to make it up to his husband and the only way to do so was to start now. "I see we have guests for your birthday boys," he said, bringing up the best smile he could. "We have man-sized rooms in the mountain if you would like to stay."

"We cannot stay," the man in front, closest to Bilbo. "We have only come to see Bilbo Baggins safely here." He slowly reached out and touched Bilbo's shoulder, making the hobbit look over at him. "Will you be alright from here?"

"I will be well taken care of," Bilbo replied with a smile. "Go back to your wife and kingdom, Aragorn."

Aragorn, as Thorin had heard a couple of months back, had returned to Gondor to reclaim his right to rule it just after the One Ring had been destroyed, leaving the only remaining son of the steward, Faramir, to marry into his rule at Rohan. Thorin, of course, had sent every congratulations as fit one ruler to another, but he had never known that either of them had known Bilbo when it was obvious that Aragorn, and probably Faramir, had. It made him angry, but he reined it in for Bilbo's sake.

"Very well," Aragorn inclined his head. "Then my men and I will be off."

"Safe travels to you," Bilbo nodded. "Remember to write to me."

"I will do my best," Aragorn laughed before turning his horse and heading off.

"Do his best indeed," Bilbo rolled his eyes. "I don't know that that man had ever written a letter to anybody before he became king and I'm not even certain that he has done so since."

"He was a king?" Frodo asked with wide eyes as though meeting such a royal was so amazing even though he was a prince and knew quite a few royals including Thranduil, his son Legolas, and the new king of Dale, Bard.

"Indeed he is," Bilbo nodded. "He is the descendant of Isildur who first defeated the Dark Lord thousands of years ago by cutting the One Ring from his finger. Though, he's even better than his ancestor as, when I showed the ring to him he was able to resist its temptation when another man I had known was not able."

"You had the One Ring?" Thorin gasped, making Bilbo jump and look back down at his hands, which rested on the pony's saddle.

"I found it in the Misty Mountains," Bilbo nodded. "It once belonged to the creature Gollum, or Smeagol was actually his name according to Gandalf."

"That was what was helping you become invisible, wasn't it?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo nodded slowly and Thorin realized suddenly that his words might have sounded accusatory. He was certainly not making a good job of this attempt to make everything up to his husband. He was, in fact, only making it worse. That he could not allow. "I am sorry that you had to carry that burden."

"It was not your fault," Bilbo replied with a shake of his head. "I was the one that picked it up after all."

"You would not have even been in those mountains if we had not forced you to come along on our quest with us," Thorin denied.

"That is true," Bilbo nodded. "But I don't regret a single moment of that adventure. Nor do I regret picking up that ring. It is destroyed now and the Dark Lord can never come back. That is worth everything. The only thing that I do regret is missing you all for these many years that I have been away."

"Well then you have to make it up to all of us," Frerin said.

"By coming to our party picnic," Frodo continued.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Bilbo clapped his hands. "Though I must warn you that I don't have any presents to offer." Generally, as the twins had explained to the rest of the dwarves in the company, it was the birthday child that gave out presents in hobbit culture, but Bilbo had been determined to keep using both cultures so they had instead swapped presents on that day. The dwarves were more than happy to oblige this little ritual and many well-crafted and beautiful things were exchanged on every birthday of the entire company.

"That's okay," Frodo shook his head.

"You're here," Frerin commented. And that truly was the best gift that Bilbo could have given at this moment anyway.

"I'm here," Bilbo nodded with a small serene smile. "Now take me to this picnic you were speaking of."

"It's this way!" the boys said together before running off towards the rest of the group. Thorin readied himself to follow, but was stopped when Bilbo said his name.

"Thorin, are you still here?"

The king startled and about-faced so quickly that he heard his back crack with the force of it. He stared at Bilbo with wide eyes, but the hobbit did not look back at him. The hobbit could not look back at him. Now Thorin could see what he felt was wrong about his husband earlier. Bilbo's eyes were dim and faded and they never once looked straight at someone. The only time he had come close to doing such a thing was when the human king had touched his shoulder.

"Thorin?"

"I'm here," Thorin said quickly, reaching out to touch Bilbo and show him where he was. Bilbo jumped at the contact, however, and the king withdrew immediately.

"Sorry," Bilbo said, looking back down at his saddle. "I can't see anything so sudden touches like that tend to surprise me." Thorin cursed himself silently. Of course a touch that wasn't seen coming would scare anyone. He would remember that for next time. "I know you probably don't want me to stay here, but I was wondering if you would allow the boys to come and visit me sometimes. They are princes of Erebor now and I know that means that they will not be able to get away very often, but there is even less of a chance that I will be able to travel back up here again. Especially with my new problems."

"If I asked you," Thorin replied, "would you stay?"

"You would want me to stay?" Bilbo's eyes widened as he looked in Thorin's direction. "I would not want to be a burden or to get in the way of your life again."

That's when the king's mind was finally made up. He hadn't been too sure if it would be good for Bilbo to stay in a mountain where there are dangers around almost every turn, especially for the blind, but he could not let this hobbit escape from him again. No, that wasn't right. He could not chase his hobbit away again.

"May I touch you?" he asked, cautiously reaching out, but remaining just far enough away that there was no contact until Bilbo nodded. He took the soft, which would always be surprising after all that Bilbo had been through, hand into both of his own and caressed it with a gentle touch. "I did not remember you. All that time I had thought that my father had married me off and that I would never get to meet my one. But the moment I walked into your door in Bag End I knew you were special. There was something about you that made me feel warm inside. My mind didn't remember you, but my heart always did. I did not lie when I told you that you were my One as children. I did not lie when I told you that I love you in Lake Town. And I do not lie now when I tell you that I wish with all my heart that you would consent to stay here by my side as my husband and give me another chance. A chance that I do not deserve, but one that I am begging you for nonetheless." Only then did Thorin allow himself to look away from their hands and up to Bilbo's face. The hobbit was also looking towards their hands, biting his lip as tears cascaded down his cheeks. For a moment the king thought he had said something wrong, but then Bilbo's teeth slipped from their perch and he began to speak.

"I- I do not know what to say," he said even as a small smile crept onto his face.

"Just say that you will stay for now," Thorin replied, not willing to try to force something more out of his husband. "The rest can come later."

Bilbo nodded slowly, then nodded again with more conviction. "I will stay."

"Thank Mahal," Thorin whispered, pressing a kiss to Bilbo's hand as his whole body, which he had not even realized had tensed, relaxed. "Thank you Bilbo. I will do everything in my power to deserve you."

With one last kiss to Bilbo's hand, Thorin took the reigns of the pony, which he only just now realized hung in front of the beast instead of anywhere where Bilbo would have been able to control it, and led the both of them back to the picnic party.


End file.
